Tradition
by Cindy Ryan
Summary: Tiva. Holiday challenge response. Abby has a plan to push Tony and Ziva together


Title: Tradition  
Author: Cindy Ryan  
Pairings: Tiva with a hint of McAbby  
Category: Holiday fluff  
Summary: Abby comes up with a plan to get Ziva and Tony together  
Notes: This was orginally posted to the NCISFF list at yahoo in response to the holiday challenge.  
Challenge must include holidays, snow and fire

NCIS special agent Timothy McGee's cell phone beeped. It was noon on the Monday before Christmas. The office was cheerfully but tastefully decorated. Gibbs was in a meeting with Vance.  
Ziva had taken half the day for personal leave. Tony was out getting lunch.

McGee leaned back in his chair as he studied the screen of his phone and activated the menu for the text message.  
Some how he wasn't surprised to see it was from Abby.

_'McGee….need you.'_

Tim frowned and had just raised a finger to key up a reply when a new message arrived. This one also from Abby.

Tim blinked and opened that one.  
It contained one simple word.

_'Now.'_

Tim keyed back a response saying he was on his way. He saved what he was doing on the computer and grabbed his suit jacket from the back of the chair.  
With Abby being Abby this could be anything from a computer meltdown, being out of Caf Pow or having lost one of her cd mixes.

*********

McGee arrived at the lab a few minutes later and was instantly awarded with a bright camera flash. He stood in the doorway blinking away the colored spots.

"Abby?"McGee asked as he waited for his eyes to focus once more. "What was that?"

"Camera flash."Abby replied not looking up from her laptop.

"That part I got."Tim stated as he moved into the room and over to the pig tailed forensic scientist.

"Damn….angle's still wrong."

It was only then that Tim noticed the tiny camera mounted to the wall just above the right side of the doorway.

"Abby….do I want to know?"

Abby grinned. "Of course you do because you're going to plant it."

Tim blinked. He'd long ago learned to just go with Abby's sometimes frantic train of thought. "I'm not putting it anywhere near Gibbs."

Abby laughed. "You're way off, Timmy."

"Abby……"

"Mistletoe cam, McGee."Abby explained as she got up on a chair and retrieved the camera. "Of course it won't have a flash…."

Tim leaned against the table and just waited.

Abby returned to the table and handed him the camera. She turned the flash off. She reached into a drawer and pulled out some mistletoe and a small hook.

"Nobody can resist the power of mistletoe this time of year, Tim."

"And you want to see who in the office has a romantic side?"McGee asked with a smile as he leaned on the table his forearms resting on the surface.

Abby shook her head. "Not just anybody."

McGee's tired brain finally caught up to hers. "Tony."

A mischievous twinkle sparkled in Abby's eyes. "And Ziva."

McGee took the mistletoe from her and turned it over in his hands. "You really think Tony will fall for this or more accurately that he'll get Ziva not just under it but get the kiss as well?"

Abby grinned and plucked the mistletoe from Tim and held it above his head. "Nobody can resist the power of the mistletoe, Tim."

Before McGee could react Abby kissed him quickly before pulling back and putting the mistletoe and camera in McGee's hands.

"Don't let me down, Timmy."

McGee grinned as he stepped away from the table. "So what's our bet?"

"You think one will resist the power?"

Tim nodded. "Ziva's put him off for this long she's not going to fall for it."

"Willing to put money on that?"Abby asked as he moved away from the table and toward the door.

"Twenty and lunch?"

Abby smiled. "Deal."

Tim nodded and left the lab wondering how he was going to rig the camera without Gibbs walking in on him.

*******

It was nearly midnight on the day before Christmas Eve. Tony glanced up from his desk as Ziva stood and pulled on her coat.

"You heading out?"Tony asked.

Ziva nodded. "It's late and with the snow the roads will not be good."

Tony glanced over at McGee's empty desk and smiled slightly at the fireplace screensaver that was running….complete with crackling fire and Christmas stockings. Tim had left earlier that day to spend the holiday with his family.

"I'll give you a ride."Tony replied as he stood shutting his computer down and grabbing his coat.

"You don't have too."

Tony grinned as she picked up her purse. "Have you driven in the snow?"

Ziva shot her partner a glare. "Yes."

"More than a couple inches?"Tony countered as he led the way out of the bullpen "Besides your car sucks."

"It does not."

Tony hit the elevator button and as they waited something glittered in his peripheral vision catching his attention. Glancing up he smiled.

"Ziva."

"Yes, Tony?"Ziva replied tiredly all she wanted as a hot bubble bath.

"You're standing under the mistletoe."

Ziva glanced up she'd forgotten it was there. Seeing the glint in Tony's eyes she turned away from the elevator.

"I will take the stairs."

Tony caught her arm before she could take two steps. "You'd break the tradition?"

"Tony…."

Tony knew he was taking a risk. They'd been dancing around the thing between them for too long and he was tired of the dance.

Tony pulled her back to him grateful that for once the elevator was taking forever.

"You can't mess with tradition, Ziva….it's bad luck."

Ziva's breath caught in her throat as Tony's lips hovered over hers.

"We do not need bad luck."Ziva whispered just as Tony's lips captured hers.

"Happy holidays, Ziva."Tony said softly as they broke apart.

"Merry Christmas, Tony."Ziva replied just as the elevator arrived.

They stepped into the elevator and exited the building and out into the snow.

end


End file.
